Do You Know RICE?

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Last week here at Texas Foot Specialists, we talked about how to avoid slips and falls that can cause harm to your feet and ankles (as well as the rest of your body). In some cases, however, despite our best efforts at preventing them, injuries occur. If you take a tumble and hurt your foot or twist your ankle, it’s important to contact Houston (713) 664-6677, Sugar Land (281) 242-4448 or Pasadena (281) 991-0600 office for an appointment to be seen by one of our podiatrists, Dr. Gregory Mangum or Dr. Bruce Miller. Until the time of your appointment you can help relieve symptoms by following the RICE regimen.

4 Easy Steps

RICE is an acronym to help you remember the following:

REST—Try to stay off your injured foot as much as possible. Not only will it likely be painful to bear weight on that foot, but you could cause worse or further damage by walking on it.

ICE—Icing the affected area can help reduce both pain and swelling. Place ice in a bag or a thin towel—do not put ice directly on your skin. Follow a schedule of 20 minutes with ice on and then at least 40 minutes with ice off the injured part of your foot or ankle.

COMPRESSION—An elastic type of bandage wrap should be put around an ankle or other part of your foot (if feasible) that has been injured. This will further control the swelling.

ELEVATION—While sitting, put your foot up so that is level with or slightly above your heart. This will also minimize swelling.

Treatment

Once you come into the office, the foot doctor will examine your foot and order x-rays (which can be done right in our offices) and/or other imaging tests to determine the full extent of your injury. A treatment plan will then be put in place to best enable your foot or ankle to heal. It’s essential that you continue with all the therapy the podiatrist prescribes. Long term ankle and foot pain often stems from previous injuries that were not fully healed. In addition to the ligaments being repaired it’s necessary for the muscles that support the ligaments to be strengthened as well to ensure a full recovery.